May the Fourth Be Strange
by AQA473
Summary: starwars!AU of Life is Strange. Just jedi things with our favorite hipsters. Written on and for May 4th, Star Wars Day. It's obviously not that day anymore, but I've been busy with school. Visit my page to vote for a pairing for any subsequent chapters.


"Ow!" Electricity sears my arm but fades fast.

"Concentrate, Max." Jefferson's presence echoes through the force behind me, foreboding and authoritative.

My right hands strokes the air I breathe, my lightsaber held before me, thumb pressed into the base. The drone, a small mechanical sphere dotted with holes, spins, humming. It can take so many paths, attack from so many angles. All are just as likely as the next, so which-

"Zip, zap, plippity, ah!" I jump back as it zaps my bum. The drone continues spinning and humming.

"Max."

"Yeah, yeah, I have 'a gift.' I got this."

"At least you're not lacking for confidence." His echo fades as he steps back. A load falls off my shoulders, freeing me. I reposition my weapon, feet sliding into place. The blue of my blade splits the image of the drone in two, still spinning.

My eyes close. I allow the force to weave into my skin, layering the membranes surrounding my eyes.

The drone's incessant humming betrays its location to my left, buzzing about like a bee. Lines cover the backs of my eyelids, all the paths a shot might go. So many possibilities; my saber lists to the right, where the most options are. Wait, the most options….

My hand zips through the air, eyes flashing open, placing my lightsaber in front of my left foot. The bolt goes straight down, deflecting off the saber harmlessly and dissipating in the air above me.

Claps sound behind as Jefferson approaches.

"Very good, Max, very good. The force is always fluid and we, as force sensitives, must always be aware of its flows." My lightsaber makes a satisfying sizzle as I shut off the power. I clip it on my hip and face Jefferson.

His unkempt beard and unusual hair have earned him plenty of remarks in the enclave, but he's proven himself countless times to his peers. The dark brown of his robes matches his hair. Mine do too, I guess. Simple hazel robes compliment my hair and freckles. My padawan braid hangs between my shoulder blades but I keep the bangs. A lot of jedi say I look young, younger than I am. I still don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"That'll be all for today, Padawan Cau'field. Remember to be conscious of you environment. You never know when it will change." His arms tuck into the sleeves of his robes as he walks away.

"But we do know, don't we, Master Jefferson?" He glances over at me. "I mean, we're jedi, right? It's in the job description."

He smiles. "If that's how you want to look at it."

Orange juice seeps out the corners of my mouth as my teeth pierce a jogan. Kate slaps my elbow.

"Don't eat like that, Max. It's gross." I flash a sloppy grin at my zabrak friend, her robes perfectly matching her beige skin and dark marks elegantly etched on her face. A bead garment of many colors she crafted herself wraps around the four horns protruding from her skull, forming a sort of square atop her head. A single bead trail falls down the right side of her head. Her bottom lip sticks out in a pout.

"But itsho good," I mumble through the sweet fruit. I swallow loudly earning me another slap.

The columns of the jedi temple tower around us, numerous jedi walking the catwalks to various sections of the complex.

"Max," Kate says. I grunt. "I'm being selected to perform the trials." I stop, seizing her arms.

"Kate, that's…" She looks away, almost despondent. I embrace her, arms wrapped around her back. "I'm so proud of you!" I pull away to see her smiling. "I knew you would make it to knight before me!"

"I thought you'd be upset." Her right hand drifts to the closest horn and rubs it. I swipe it away.

"Of course not." I stroke her cheek, smiling. She smirks back. "You deserve it, and you'll do well in the trials. You're better with the force than any other padawan I know."

"Thanks, Max." She grabs my hand, holding it. Her warmth sends chills up my arms, like the zap from that drone. I pull away, heat rushing to my cheeks.

"I'm sure your master's proud, too."

"I think he's just thankful to be rid of me."

We walk to her quarters, which I guess she'll soon be moving out of. We've been in the academy together since childhood, raised as initiates together. I can't imagine this place without her. If I could just become knight then we could work together. I don't know if I can, though. I'm lackluster at everything, what could I possibly-

"Max." The inner corridors of the enclave light up around me, going on forever in either direction. I can't even recall walking in here. Behind Kate is her small room, soon to be some other apprentice's. She looks concerned.

"Max, you're zoning again."

I shake my head. "I'm fine, promise." Her look doesn't go away. I touch her shoulder. She dodges my hand, lunging forward, and holds me to her. She pulls back quickly, fiddling with her horn.

"Okay, Max. See you later?"

I smile, nodding. "Naturally."

I walk down the halls with my hands folded behind my head, avoiding the other jedi moseying about. I mean, they're probably off doing important things like not-moseying, but whatever. I'll never get to do something important. I'm weak, like Nathan. My hand instinctively reaches for the burn running the length of my left arm. A reminder of the pull of the dark side and my own inability to do anything.

Blue lekku enter my peripheral. I turn to it to see- oh. It's just master Secura. I sigh, lip sticking out. Dead weight falls on my back, nearly bringing me to my knees.

"Hey, butt-face." Chloe says, crushing me. Her lekku spill over my shoulders. They always feel so weird rubbing my skin, like it should be an arm or something but it isn't. It's just this fleshy… thing. And there's her arms, speak of the dark side. I try to shrug her off, but she clings to me like swamp goo.

"Chlo, could you not?" She laughs, her body shaking into me. It's not a totally awful feeling. Heavy, though. My legs quiver.

"I don't getta see you anymore. You're always, y'know, jazzing it up with your master or whatevs." She finally dismounts me and I cough exaggeratedly, grabbing at my throat. "Don't be so dramatic, ya wuss." She slaps my butt, making me yelp and stand straight.

"Hey!" She just laughs it off.

She's not wearing the jedi garb, again. She has a leather headpiece made from some animal she won't say what is, probably because it's illegal. A chain, sewed into the right side of it, hags beside her face. It's supposed to be her "padawan braid" but she uses it to hang earrings off of. Pretty sure that's against the rules, too. I swear, one of these days she'll get in deep poodoo for all of this. Rules are there for a reason.

"Step-dick laid me off early today, so I got nothin' ta do. Wanna chillax in your room? Ooh, or play a nasty one on Master Jocasta!" She starts darting down the hall behind me. I snatch one of her lekku, yanking her back with a grunt.

"No! No. We're not pranking anyone, certainly not a jedi master, and certainly not her. She's mean and scary when she's pissed. Just…" I sigh, gripping the bridge of my nose. "I have to study today." Chloe groans, her blue arms swaying at her sides. She's dressed like a smuggler. The only reason she gets off is because her step-father is a jedi master, hers, and he'd rather not make an issue out of her fashion decisions considering he's married and is the guardian of a child. Lucky they aren't related or else the council wouldn't tolerate it.

"Hella lame!" I'm sure the assembly can hear her moan. "There's nothing _to_ study. We ain't initiates no mo', baby. C'mon, let's chill while the day is ours!" She grabs my hand, dragging me to force-knows-where.

Chloe's my best friend, I think. I mean, we were friends when we were kids, then she was gone for a long time. Got sucked back into the jedi mind machine a year ago when her step-dad brought her back. She doesn't talk about where she went, but she came back an apprentice, so I guess it wasn't terrible, whatever she was doing. Then we just clicked like no time had passed. She's certainly fuller than she was back then, now seventeen and showing it. Her lekku dance behind her head, trailing like banners in the breeze, earring-covered chain clinking along.

She drags us past students and masters, visitors and politicians, deeper and deeper into the temple. Carpet pads our steps, turning our clomps into mild taps.

I eventually shrug off her grip once we're in the heart of the enclave. She watches me like I'll run away.

"I won't leave. Like, I'd rather be practicing. Or, you know, sitting and hugging my knees to my chest- okay yeah, I'm following you." She laughs, resuming her childish bolt down the halls. I follow, now more comfortably without that hand of hers yanking my arm out of its socket.

The empty halls stretch into infinity. The complex doesn't look so big on the outside, but it really is. It's fucking massive and really intimidating once you get inside. Since Jefferson takes me out so often, I never really get used to it when we return.

Running past a closed door, something like crying catches my ear.

"Chloe," I whisper.

"I hear it, too." She doubles back as I press my ear to the door. She pulls her lekku aside and smooshes the side of her head beside mine. Her breath touches my lips, her eyes shut. Her lips look rough, like she doesn't take care of them. I bet they're warm.

"I'll never," the voice on the other side pulls my attention back. It's a woman, kinda familiar but I can't put a name on it. She coughs a sob. "Be a jedi. Not a true one. No one sees what I can do. No one even gives me a fucking chance. I've been an apprentice for too long. I should have known, honestly, especially after…"

Chloe looks at me, standing. I stand with her, realization on both our faces.

"Victoria," we say in unison.

"What's she goin' on about?" Chloe says.

"I don't know. I hope it isn't about Nathan. I can't…" I hug my sides. "She wouldn't be considering that, right?"

"Who's there?" Oh, shit. Chloe gestures behind her. I run up to her side and start talking.

"So Kate's about to start her trials." Chloe nearly panics until she sees what I'm doing. Then she gives me a thumbs up.

"Oh, oh," she starts as we walk past the door. "Yeah. I don't care. 'Kay, get it, she your buddy, but she ain't mine. Proud of you but, y'know, not really."

"Wow, thanks, asshole. Kate would like you, too, if you gave her the time of day."

"Don't need to. She's got you. What else does she need?"

"Chloe," I whisper. "I know that we're playing along or whatever, but are you seriously being this difficult about Kate? She's harmless." Chloe just shrugs. Ugh! She really gets on my nerves sometimes. There is no emotion, there is peace.

The door behind us opens. We both turn around as Victoria walks out, facing us. She's pretty, even for devaronian. Perfectly clear skin, covered in short red hairs like many others of her race, with the trademark black circles on her forehead and a pretty little pixie cut of pale, white hair. The back of her hair form a long braid that falls onto her left shoulder, denoting her apprenticeship. Her eyes ream red from tears, but she doesn't draw attention to them.

"What are you two idiots doing down here?"

"Could ask you the same thing, demon." I elbow Chloe hard. "Ow!"

"Don't be rude. We're just looking for something to do. Boredom, all that."

Victoria huffs, turning the other direction. "Well do it over there. Some people here are actually trying to do something with their lives."

With that, she disappears around the corner.

"I think she's turning to the dark side," I blurt out to Chloe. She blinks.

"Whoa, okay, hold on. I jump to shit real early, too, but isn't that hella mad? Like, maybe she's just having a bad day. She has those a lot."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "This is just like Nathan. I saw the signs and no one believed me and now he's dead. I won't let Victoria fall like him."

"Honestly, who cares if she does? She's a problem padawan and everyone knows it. It was just a matter of time."

"Seriously?" I stare at Chloe, mouth agape. She shrugs. "No, nu-uh. We're saving her and that's that! That's what we're doing today. No one, and I mean no one, is left behind. Kate would be gone right now if I had your filthy mentality."

"Oi, just 'cause my mind lives in the gutter does not mean I have a 'filthy mentality,' ya nerd."

We follow Victoria for a couple hours, much to Chloe's dismay. This whole time, I beat myself up over how we're gonna do this. I want to tell someone, like Jefferson or another master, but I know of too many jedi who snapped when an authority figure stepped in. All those hours in the archives weren't for nothing, Chloe.

No, Victoria needs her peers for this one, just like Kate. Except Kate wasn't turning. I shiver at the memory, seeing her standing on the edge of the jedi temple, staring into the endless abyss of the Coruscant skyways.

Victoria spends the day avoiding basically everyone. A jedi knight tries to speak to her about… something, but she quickly deflects. I thought she was about attack him right there.

We eventually track her to one of the lower rooms, dark and unused, closer to the underground markets of the planet than the high rises of reputable society. Nothing comes down here but maintenance droids and people looking for trouble. Like her, I guess. Chloe's force powers are the only thing keeping us hidden from detection.

Our quarry walks into a room, leaving us peering into the dark alone. We cover the sides of the doorway, peeking in. No door to block us from viewing within.

"Fra'k," Chloe spouts under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"The man in there; it's Fra'k." Victoria's speaking to a man, both facing from the door. It's a trandoshan, and a pretty rough looking one, too. He's dressed like a smuggler, definitely offworld. His green scales are almost orange from dirt and grime. I can smell him from here.

"Do I want to know how you know him?"

"Probably not." Her smirk doesn't make me feel any better. "Can you hear them?"

"No, Chloe, I don't have super hearing." 

"You got that weirdo force thing goin' on."

"It's force sight, not force hearing, ya dummy."

"Yeah, that."

I sigh, planting my face into my hand.

A loud hiss echoes from the chamber, bouncing off the vacant walls of the hall. "You were trailed, Vic."

"I could've sworn… Max, Chloe, if that's you, you're in deeper than you think."

"Well, Max," Chloe whispers. "Wanna do this?"

I retrieve my lightsaber and Chloe follows suit. Our blue blades burn the air as we dash in. I discard my robe, my braid bouncing on my back. I hold my blade with my hand upside-down, Chloe holding hers more like a bat.

"Now's your chance, Vic." Fra'k hands over what appears to be a very shoddily put together lightsaber, probably black market, to Victoria. She takes it, faces us, and activates two of them. One is her own green that she crafted herself. The other is thick, vibrant red.

"Chloe."

"I know."

"Our business is complete. See to it that they don't leave this place." The trandoshan runs to the back of the room, jumping into a hole in the floor. Chloe attempts to follow only to get flung into the wall by Victoria.

"Chloe!"

"Who would have thought that a nerd would be this nosy?" Victoria holds the green blade in front of her, red behind and close to the ground. She doesn't know what she's doing with two blades but I don't plan on underestimating her desperation. She steps around, standing between me and Fra'k's escape. "Actually, I'm not surprised. You did always shove your nose where it didn't belong. Nathan ringing any bells?"

Nathan's face flashes in my eyes. I yell, lunging into her. She easily deflects my attack, bringing red in for a counter. I roll sideways, swiping my blade, forcing her to jump. Chloe stands, catching Victoria mid-air with her own force push. Victoria backflips through the momentum, landing and nearly sliding down the hole her accomplice vanished in.

Chloe treads to Victoria's left, and I her right. Chloe strikes first, her blade buzzing through the musty air. Victoria blocks with one blade and I meet her other to prevent her from countering Chloe's attack.

"Why are you doing this?"

Victoria eyes me through the red and blue lightsabers between us.

"You wouldn't know. You're Master Jefferson's prized little pupil!" She grunts the last word, shoving me and Chloe off with more force than I thought her capable of. Victoria throws off her lighter colored robe before returning to her lightsaber stance. Her red legs show between her shorts and boots, fuzzy in the dim light above us. "You have so much going for you and you just throw it all away. I have to work twice as hard, and for what?"

More blade-clashing, sparks burning the air. I and Chloe keep up the pace, but Victoria pushes us back faster each time we engage. She dodges one of Chloe's force attacks, tripping my twi'lek friend with a leg swipe. I cringe, feeling Chloe's pain as she lands on her lekku.

"You're so damned lucky and you literally sit in your fucking room wasting all of it!" Victoria comes at me, blades raised high. I bring up my own, two hands gripping the hilt. Her superior strength and two blades bring me to my knees.

"Ah!" My muscles tense under the weight she forces onto me. Chloe leaps at her, forcing her off.

"Thanks for the save, Chlo!"

Victoria backs away then jumps into the hole behind her.

Without a second thought, we pursue.

Victoria was waiting for us! Red and green sweep out, taking Chloe's leg off in one motion. The detached limb goes flying into one of the curved walls of the maintenance tunnel. Her scream echoes down the chasm. Victoria sprints down, descending into the darkness.

"Chloe! Shit, shit, shit!" I fall onto the ground, grabbing her leg, she hisses, slapping me off.

"Go, Max. Go get her! I'll, ah! I'll drag myself up and get some help. Go!"

I touch her shoulder earning a pained smirk from her. She hands me her own lightsaber then force leaps through the hole before I can protest. Always so rash. Or was I too hasty to begin with?

I run, blood pumping through my limbs, the blue hue from my lightsabers my only light. I run and run and just keep running, sweat dripping from my head and soaking the tips of my hair. SO many corners, so many routes. Where could she have gone?

I stop, turning off my sabers. I was trained for this, right? I sit down, legs crossed, and hold my weapons in my lap. Eyes shut, I breathe out.

It's quiet. It smells like mildew and breathes just as well. Concentrate. The force is constant, attached to all living things and even imbued in some non-living things. Everything leaves a trace, force-sensitives leaving the biggest traces of all. I swallow. Then they appear.

The backs of my eyelids paint lines, red tendrils streaming in different directions and patterns. It's a mess, like a ball of yarn dropped on the floor. I strain my head, moving them, focusing. They sort themselves, untangling and becoming coherent. They all face one direction now.

I reactivate my lightsabers and run, following where I now know to go.

Every corner draws me closer, but my muscles ache and the air grows thin. Then it grows thick, filtered, cold. A draft hits me. I'm getting closer.

My muscles feel renewed and I run faster, sprinting with the force at my heels. One more corner and I see light at the end of the tunnel. There's a double entendre in there somewhere.

Victoria stands at the end, back facing me. I pump my legs, closing the distance in seconds. Mere meters from her position, I slow.

The light comes from the outside where it's mid-afternoon. The sound of skycars and speeders is a welcome change to the enveloping silence down here. Fra'k loads a speeder hovering outside the opening. He says something I can't here, his eyes glancing at me. Victoria whips around, eyes narrowing.

"I should've figured you'd find me."

I hold up both my blade, one upside-down in front and the other behind me at an angle.

"I'm not giving up on you."

"You're an idiot, Max."

I run to her, blades poised. She readies herself then spins into the air to meet me. We trade blows, she bouncing off the walls around me as I take steps towards the exit. My mind twitches, vibrating as an echo enters the force. I draw my blade to my left, deflecting a blaster shot, sending it back at the shooter. I watch as the trandoshan, Fra'k, falls off the speeder and into the darkened streets of the city.

Victoria quickly draws me back to our fight, surging at my throat. I jab out with the force, pushing her blade away just enough for it to miss my skin. Each time I gain the upper hand, she throws in another dirty trick, either tripping me or feigning an attack. Maybe…

I step back, letting us both stop and breathe.

"Just stop, Max," she pants.

"Never." I relax, letting my arms fall at my sides. Then she jumps.

My eyes close, allowing my force-sight to take over. Red swings above her head, green off to the side for a counter blow or a block. There isn't anger in her movements, but desperation and frustration, fear and loneliness. It's so similar to Kate's emotions.

I take step back, letting Victoria enter my space. Just as her lightsaber is about to touch me, as I feel the heat radiating from its blade, I swing my weapons around. Both her blades flash out of her hands, clinking to the ground in severed halves. Victoria hisses, grabbing her singed palms. I wince. Kinda wished I'd been a little more precise. Guess it's payback for dismembering Chloe, though.

"Well, Max? Are you going to finish it?" I watch her, her eyes scanning my own. She's taller than me, but she feels so small standing before me. Her legs bend and her spine hunches. She doesn't look crazy. I see the fear in her eyes. The wind outside whips about us, sending her unbound hair around in a flurry. Our braids bounce off us, seeking freedom from our heads.

My lightsabers sizzle off, clanking off the metal tunnel surface as I drop them.

"I'm not here to kill you, Victoria," I shout over the wind.

"Then you're a fool." She tackles me, smashing us both to the ground. My head rings as it bounces off the metal. Stars float in my vision. My mind catches Victoria's intent before she can grab one of my sabers. With no small amount of effort and a little help from the force, I push her heavy form up and away from the lightsabers.

The metallic emitter of a lightsaber plants against my back. I inhale sharply. Shit. I close what gap there is between us, hugging her, fingers stretching the fabric of her tunic, nails scratching her skin. I breathe into her neck, hot breath mixing with the cool air churning from the world outside.

"Do it, Victoria." I all but whisper into her ear. "You'll never get a better chance."

I close my eyes, preparing for the end. I'm sorry Kate, Chloe, Jefferson, but I have to try.

Her body shakes, her chest hitting my ribs. A sob meets my ears followed shortly by wetness on my back. The lightsaber falls from my spine, banging the tunnel floor.

"I- I can't," she breathes. "I can't do it…" Her arms sag, falling on my legs pressed to her sides.

"Shh." I stroke her back, tightening my grip. She cries in my arms for what seems like ages but the sun outside stays the same.

"You're such a dumb, stupid, idiot."

"I am."

"What?"

"Let her take the trials." I stand straight, hands balled at my sides. Jefferson stands behind me, arms crossed. Master Wells touches his temple.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't suggest we allow a criminal to perform the jedi trials."

"No. She needs this."

"She turned to the dark side, was in league with a known smuggler, and attacked two padawans, taking the leg of one of them."

"I know. I was there." No emotion crossed his face.

"Padawan Cau'field, I refuse to allow former Padawan Chase to take the trials. She's a danger and needs to be punished for her actions."

I look back at Jefferson who just shrugs.

"Master Wells, please. She needs this. There's good in her, I know it. None of you listened to me when Nathan turned and now Victoria's going to be punished because we finally caught her before she committed?"

"I vouch for my padawan's judgment," Jefferson says, standing beside me. I nudge him, mouthing 'Thank you' when he looks down.

Wells sighs. "What happened to Padawan Prescott was a tragedy. If you both believe there's still good in Chase…" Wells grips the railing beside him. He stares off into the city, speeders passing by our view, disappearing into the dying sunlight. "I will make a case for her to the council." A smile spreads across my face. I shake Jefferson's hands. He just grins back. "This is not a guarantee, but I'm feeling good about her chances."

"Thank you so much, Master Wells. I promise this won't be a mistake."

"You better hope it isn't."

"Victoria!" The devaronian spins around just as I wrap my arms around her. She grunts as we fall into the bench behind her.

"Max, get off." She casts me off her. She has new robes but her braid still rests on her shoulder. I thumb it, feeling the white bumps of hair under my skin. "What?"

I grin widely. "Just happy you're back, is all." She rolls her eyes.

"It's only been a week. Get over yourself." Her cheeks turn dark brown. I giggle earning me a glare.

"C'mon. Come sit with us." I pull her off the bench and she snatches her meat wrap off the table as I thrust her away.

"'Us?'"

I lead her behind several tables to the back of the room where Chloe and Kate sit at a circular table, eating and teasing each other. They look up.

Chloe's left pant leg thins near the bottom, a dead giveaway of her new prosthetic, but she makes it work. Her smile fades quickly.

"I'm making Victoria eat with us. We're all padawans here, after all." Kate coughs. "Except Kate, who is now a knight and we're all very proud." She smiles at me.

"I think there's hope for everyone," Kate says.

"Fine, but don't expect me to forgive her again if she takes my other leg."

Me and Victoria sit down, leaning into the table. She rubs her arms. She sits between me and Chloe to my left, while Kate sits to my right.

"Um, sorry, about that." Victoria fondles with her braid. I resist the urge to smack her hand away. "Yea, so, how is your training, Chloe?"

"We're not friends." She pokes the food sitting in front of her. "But, uh, good, y'know. Step-dick thinks I'll make knight soon, especially after that whole thing with, eh, you." She glances away. Victoria smiles, her red lips turning up pleasantly.

"It's fine. I think I'm past that."

"Sounds like we'll all be knights together, soon." Everyone seated looks at me.

"Together?" Chloe says.

"You're such a dreamer, Max."

"Wait, then does that mean…"

"Four friends, taking on the galaxy!" I put my hand in the middle of the table. Chloe laughs as Kate giggles, covering her mouth with her fingers.

"I'm always with you, Max." Kate's beige hand falls on mine. I flash her a toothy grin.

"Chloe? We're best friends."

"Yeah, but…" She looks at Victoria who watches her lap.

"At the very least, it'll be exciting."

"Alright, already." Chloe's blue hand grabs Kate's.

A red one quickly follows, leaving four hands sitting on a table. I feel like I'm ten again, running around with a bunch of loud initiates with dreams swimming around our brains.

"For a future that we might not have had," Victoria says. I smile at her.

"May the force be-"

"Strange as fuck," Chloe interjects. We all laugh.

"Yeah. Strange. And may it never be any other way."

As we resume our meals, we eye one another. I don't know, but I got a good feeling about this.


End file.
